Metroid : The Beginning
by Gekko
Summary: A made up tale of the life of Samus Aran before the first Metroid game. We see her grow up and meet familiar Metroid characters. Enjoyable.


Metroid : The Beginning

Metroid - The Beginning 

  
  


* * *

**

Prologue

**  
  
Space. Vast and mysterious. Over the millennia, many races of intelligent life have sculpted it's carvings. Some pure of heart, some with unjust plans. Where there is hope, there is also corruption and greed. And where there is dignity, there is a stench that resides with many other creatures.   
The universe is much smaller now. Humans have colonized many a planet, and have discovered many new forms of life. Most more hostile than the other. And for the most part, the galaxy is at peace.   
Human discovery has led to amazing technology, unfortunately, it was these advanced sciences that led a large group of humans to see the potential of this new found era. These humans broke off from society to seek their own violent ways, and became the Space Pirates.   
After many years of horrendous genetic experiments, these creatures, once human, became weapons, their bodies drastically altered and the aggression levels beyond comparison. This group of people sought to ravage the galaxy, pillaging space colonies and planets for any valuables, and to bring death to all who opposed.   
But where there is evil, there is good. Another race, far more ancient than humans, have been observing the universe's shortcomings and realized the corruption of the many beings. A race which has been to the edge of technology for centuries, and are now settling back into the beauty of simplicity.  
This near extinct race, the bird like Chozo, seek to put an end to any evil which taints the goodness of light. They await a new born; a hatchling, to save their race, as well as the many others...  
  


* * *

**I  
  
Log : 05.323.0  
Location : Earth Space Colony 'K-2L'**  
  


The terminal in the control room buzzed aloud. This specific terminal was only used for emergency calls, so naturally the captain took it immediately. His name was Captain Giri, and he was a well respected admiral from the Nova Squad, a team which had fought against the now eradicated Quasar group, a terrorist network. Captain Giri was the silent type, but he had a strong will. The light of the blinking terminal reflected off the glass of the command deck, over looking the planet the station was orbiting, Teyat V.  
Giri activated the console, turning on a holographic display. It was Lt. Packerson, one of the few men that out ranked Giri. The time stamp indicated that the message was sent an hour ago. Packerson had a panicked look upon his face, which was very unusual. In the background, there were flashing red lights and smoke. He was standing in a sealed room. He stammered :  
  
"To whomever is receiving this, the space colony 'R-3E' has been invaded by the pirates! I repeat, R-3E is under attack! We require immediate support!"  
  
The message began to lose clarity; it was taken over by interference.   
  
"The pirates have taken over -fizz- helm! There -fizz- be one hundred of -fizz- if anyone is receiving this -fizz-"  
  
It was than the gun shots were heard through the snow on the screen. It suddenly ended afterwards. Giri simply turned off the console and walked away, with no expression to be found on his face. He proceeded trough the command door, and down an elevator. A few more stairs downward, and he arrived at the central hall. It was decorated and clean. A grayish chrome hue covered the area. Each door for each apartment was labeled with a red light.  
Giri took a moment to admire his surroundings. His colony was a medium sized one with a population of 1,583. It was luxurious, and was made for sophisticated people and sophisticated technology. Many of the crew on board were Galaxy renowned scientists who worked on experiments which would greatly benefit the Federation.   
But tonight, Giri has different matters to attend to. He walked past Sector A, the main living sector, to come to Sector C, a recreational area. On the ceiling was a dome made of glass, which sparkled above an indoor pool and playground. Giri witnessed parents playing with their children. This made him choke up, but only the slightest bit. There was no turning back on the deal he had made.  
One child he had passed was sitting silently while observing it's surroundings. Giri had seen her before, an eight year old, blonde-haired child. Her parents were both respected scientists. Her mother lay next to her, stroking her hair. She eyed Giri suspicously .  
Onwards Giri went, past many security stations, to his final stop at the central science center. it was here that Giri met a long time friend, the girl's father. His team had been working hard a prototype cloaking device. It was named project 'Manta'.   
He approached Giri and asked if he would like to see the results. He said it was his daughter's birthday and he awaiting to get home after he had been working all day.   
  
'Is the project past phase 2?' Asked Giri  
"Ye-yes. I worked all day on it but it's finally complete," he replied.  
"Good. I shall take over from here"  
"Sir? What do you mean? And where are all my other staff? You called them to your office an hour ago."  
"They've been excused of their duties"  
"What do you mean, Giri?"  
Giri paused for a moment, and reached for something in his vest pocket. He took out an M-Class pistol. The head scientist could only stare at it.  
"I'm sorry about this," exclaimed Giri  
A shot rang out. The scientist's glasses fell to the ground as he grabbed Giri's shoulders and slowly sank to the floor. Giri calmly walked to the communicator in the room and radioed to a vessel only 300 miles away. He then initiated a base lock down and proceeded to the docking bay, awaiting his visitors.  
Meanwhile, in apartment 3-AB, the young child was being tucked into bed by her mother.  
"I'm sorry your father couldn't make it for your ninth birthday, I'm sure he'll make it up to you in the morning," She said  
And with a kiss, the woman turned off the Plazmite lamp and closed the door behind her. The young girl grabbed her doll and drifted off into sleep. She was a fragile thing, and she had always felt different from others. She dreamed of angelic creatures beckoning to her.  
  
All was silent in the colony. Everyone was asleep, all the light's were off. Giri's visitors were just arriving. The incoming ship was familiar across the galaxy. Giri smiled as eight Space Pirates emerged. They grunted and welcomed Giri to their force. It was then by luck and fate that a young cadet on patrol spotted the pirates. By instinct, he ran to the nearest microphone and pressed an alarm.   
A red light came on immediately afterwards, with a warning that pirates has entered the colony. Giri turned around swiftly and shot the cadet. After a pause, he told the beasts that the escape pods had been deactivated and that the alarm would make no difference. He gave them the key card to the science lab where the weapons and Manta projects were, that the science team had worked for months on.  
"You may kill anyone and do as you please," Giri told them.   
The militia nodded.  
"We have a special treat for our guests," One of them said with an evil laugh.   
The space pirate took out two stasis crates. Giri looked oddly at the pirates and peered in through a crate bar. He stared for a moment, and stood back up, shocked. He quickly asked,  
"Where did you get them?" Giri asked sharply.  
The pirate simply smiled.  
  
"Emergency! Evacuate the colony!", repeated the alarm  
The mother quickly woke her daughter and told her they had to leave. The girl became scared and clung to her mother, while still holding the doll. The child was wearing a night gown. The mother hastily carried her out of the apartment where they followed the other running colonists. She saw space pirates on the first floor, shooting at people like it was some sort of game. She turned away and focused on getting out of the main room. The screaming was everywhere, and it truly was chaos. The young girl could only look and try to comprehend what was happening. They ran into a hall, where they immediately heard people shouting : "Where are the escape pods? Where are they? Oh my god!" The mother felt her heart pound. She had one thought in her mind : save the child. The doors behind them opened. The terrified crowd of people could only stare at the eight pirates. They stood there, smiling at the mayhem they had created. They did not shoot. They did not move. The group of people stared at them. The girl looked through her mother's arms.  
After what seemed like an eternity, the pirates placed two crates on the ground, then turned around and left, locking the door behind them. The crates opened, and two beings emerged. They were hideous, green creatures which had no head, and what seemed to look like mandibles on there undersides.  
"Oh my... what the hell are those things?" shouted a terrified colonist. One of the creatures leapt onto his face, knocking him down. The group screamed and ran in separate directions. The mother saw things in slow motion, and thought to herself that this couldn't be happening. She ran across the halls, trying to lose the screaming behind her. After some time, she lost all the other colonists and was by herself with her child.  
"Where are we going, mommy?" The child asked, nervously.  
"To your father's ship. He hid it in a secret area. It's designed to launch automatically. We're getting out of here, honey," said the mother, while trembling.  
The mother let go of the child and took her by the hand. They ran down a long corridor. It was dark, and cold. Steam was covering the area. They kept running. She heard footsteps behind her but didn't look back. She ran and ran...  
They eventually arrived at a door. It required a finger scan to open. The mother opened it, but the door malfunctioned and only opened a little. She screamed "NO!", and fell to the floor, crying. She gathered her strength and sat up to speak to her bewildered child. She slowly said to her,  
"Baby, you have to go. You must leave. You won't have me anymore, but you must go. The ship is just ahead. Please, baby"  
The child's eyes filled up with tears as she hugged her mother and begged for her to come with her.   
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I want you to be safe."  
The mother gathered her strength and tore her daughter off of her, she started wailing. Her dress was wet with tears.   
"No, mommy! Don't leave me!"  
Her mother kissed her one last time, and shoved her through the small opening. She looked at her beautiful child, smiled one last time, and closed the door.  
The girl stood there for a while. All the screaming beyond the doors raced by her without her hearing it. She couldn't get a hold on any of her surroundings. She clasped her doll and turned around and ran. She stumbled. She saw a hatch on the ground about 50 feet away from her. She slowly got up and proceeded to it, limping. It was then she heard a screech. A loud, piercing screech. She slowly turned around and saw a shadow approaching from around a turning point in the hall. She stood there terrified. She continued to slowly walk backwards, but she could only stare at the approaching shadow. She had little expression on her face.   
It was than that the creature showed itself. It was the floating, green jellyfish type creature that had attacked them earlier. Panic swept over the child and a terrified look spread over her face. The creature paused a moment. It then growled and backed up. it exposed it's underside to the child, and screeched once again. It then began to speed towards her. She screamed as the creature rapidly approached.   
She took one step backwards just as the creature was about to grab her. Her doll slipped from her grasp and dropped to the ground. She fell down into a comfortable bed in the middle of a control room. She looked upwards to see the creature one last time. It seemed confused about where it's prey had gone. The hatch slammed shut, and ship suddenly started. It blasted off with tremendous force, away from the colony. The girl sat up and looked out the window.   
Another ship had just departed the colony and was speeding off in the opposite direction. She then turned her eyes on the only home she ever knew. Time seemed to stop. Then suddenly, the whole colony was gone. It had exploded. Shards of metal flew in every direction. Some hit the ship she was in with a loud bang.  
The little girl stared into space, stared at the quickly vanishing planet they had been orbiting around, and passed out to the floor into a dreamless sleep.  
  


* * *

**

II  
  
Log : 6.005.4  
Location : Space Research Center 'Cradite'

**  
  
A voice came over the intercom in General Blikly's office. He wore a military vest and smoked a cigar. He was young for a war hero; only 28 years old. He pressed the responder button.  
"They're requesting you in medical bay eight, Blikly," Said the secretary  
"I'll be right there," Responded Blikly.   
He grabbed his sun glasses and put out his cigar and headed out. Stopping at an elevator, he pushed in floor 23. The machine quickly dropped him off at his location. A couple doors later, he entered the medical bay. A blueish colored area, strewn with lights and tables. All the rooms were empty except for one. He saw through the glass three figures, surrounding a table. He quickly entered and pushed everyone aside to find a little girl sitting straight up on the table. There were two doctors dressed in white and one military officer. He paused. Her face was clean, but her hair was tangled and wild, She sat there, motionless.  
"Who is she? Where'd she come from?" He demanded  
"We found her asleep in a small ship. Most of the rations were used up, and life support was at 13%. She was in there for a long time," responded a doctor.  
"Any data?"  
"No sir. Nothing. We just found her, asleep. She hasn't said a word."  
"Any sign of disease?"  
"No sir. She's in good health"  
"I see... Leave me"  
"Yes sir"  
The group of three left the room. The girl remained motionless. Blikly approached her slowly. She looked up at him.  
"So, who are you? Where have you come from?" Asked the general  
No response. Blikly circled around her for a moment.  
"Can you at least tell me your name?"  
"I don't remember..." she replied  
After a moment, Blikly asked another question,  
"Where did you come from, kid?"  
At the sound of kid, she replied, a little peeved  
"A space station"  
"Where are your parents?"  
No response. Blikly was about to ask another question, when she said,  
"Dead. Everyone is dead."  
Blikly stepped back.  
"Dead? H-how?"  
"Murdered"  
"Where, exactly?"  
"My home," she said, slowly  
"Which is where?"  
No response.   
"Tell me, child. Surely you must know," he said sharply.  
"...K-two-L"  
"K-two-L?"  
"...yes"  
Blikly waved in the military person. He stepped back into the medical room.  
"Yes sir?"  
"Find out anything you can about a colony named 'K2-L'"  
"Very well,"  
The person left the room once more and headed up stairs.  
"Come with me, please," said Blikly.  
The child followed him out of the bay. They eventually reached a large research center.  
"You see, this isn't a colony like where you came from, it's a research center. We use radar cloaking technology to hide ourselves from pirates."  
The child simply looked onward as they crossed a marble floor.  
"I've got some thing's i'd like to show you. This K2-L must have been attacked by pirates. I need to know if they used a certain kind of 'weapon'"  
The girl looked up, then back down.  
"But first, let's get you into some proper clothing."  
She was brought into a living center, where a nurse dressed her in a white jump suit. It was a bit big, but it was the only thing the team had. The white jump suit was the common clothing for the science team.  
When they left, the military person approached Blikly. Blikly stepped aside with him for a moment. The child waited patiently.  
"So what about it?" Asked the General  
"K-2L was a space colony led by Captain Giri.", he sighed for a moment. "It was orbiting planet Teyat five when we lost contact with it. We're still not sure exactly what happened. The pirates had no knowledge of this colony."  
"There would have to be an inside source then..." figured Blikly  
"Yes."  
"So what's her name?"  
"We looked in the data log, her name never showed up. It's been erased."  
"Impossible."  
"That's what I thought."  
"How long ago was this?"  
"Two years, sir."  
Blikly sighed with slight shock.  
"Two years...amazing. Thank you. At ease."  
"Yes sir," and he left through big double doors at the end of the room  
Blikly went back to the child.  
"You've been in that ship for two years. And you um...have no name on file"  
"I see"  
"But one thing troubles me. There were only enough nutrients on that ship to last you one and a half years. This makes no sense to me."  
The girl smiled a bit.   
"We'll have your complete medical scans in soon. We need to make sure nothing's wrong with you. Um...any how, this is what I wanted to show you."  
The man pushed a button on a remote control. The lights dimmed and the walls began to rise. Behind them were giant tanks. When the girl saw what was behind them, she stepped backwards.  
"You are scared," he said  
She nodded.  
"These are Metroids. Energy sucking organisms. You have seen them on the colony, yes?"  
She nodded again.  
"This is as I feared... the Pirates must be using them as weapons. These specimens are dead already, however."  
"They are evil things..." she said.  
"We know so little about them. The first log entry concerning them occured only ten years ago. We do no know where they come from or how the Pirates are aquiring them. I have one more thing to show you. Come."  
They walked into a lab area. The walls closed over the tanks. The lab was occupied with one scientist. A single egg was inside a secured tank. It was cracked open, with a newborn creature asleep at the egg's side. It was lizard like, with scaly skin that was violet colored.  
"It's a genetically altered Kuru-Kuru Dragon. We've been trying to achieve the a perfect specimen, and after five generations, this is the outcome. It does not yet have a name. The Kuru-Kuru dragon is only a foot in size, but this beast should grow to be twice the size of a human."  
The child stared at the beast. It was a baby, but she felt it could become a killing machine. It cried once and turned over.  
"We are very pleased at the results on this one. Well...you must be tired. I'll show you to your sleeping quarters."  
  
A few hours later, the medical results came in. The findings were astonishing.  
"She's half what?"  
"She's been genetically altered"  
"Her strength has increased by 300%"  
"What is a Chozo, exactly?"  
"This is amazing..."  
The discussion went on through the night. And as the girl knew, they would be back. The were not quite finished with her. She dreamt of the months she spent with these beautiful bird like creatures. She remembered the stories they told her, about how she was the chosen one, about how they have been waiting for her. They told her about recent happenings on a planet they had long been living on, Tallon IV, and that they were making a suit for her.   
And lastly, she now had a name. Samus. The name echoed through her mind. And for the first time in a long time, she felt happy.  
  


* * *

**

III  
  
Log : 8.001.2  
Location : Federation Palace, Planet Bomoba

**  
  
We find Samus, much older, dressed in military uniform. She's in a large room with many windows overlooking a grand city. Bomoba is the capital planet for the Federation, an organization which owns many large trade unions, businesses, and military groups. Samus's outfit is decorated with several medals. Samus is now a cunning woman at the age of 20.  
She was standing in the grand hall admiring war photos when an old friend came to the door. It was Blikly, now much older, too. Samus smiled at him, he simply smiled back. Blikly was the closest thing she had to a father. She had not seem him for five years.  
"Samus. We meet again," he said calmly  
"I trust your journey here was okay," she replied  
"It was fine. So Samus... you made colonel? I'm impressed. And your lucky you never had to fight in any wars," replied Blikly, stroking his chin  
"It was fun while it lasted, I enjoyed the training,"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I'm leaving, Blikly,"  
"What? Why?"  
"I have a greater destiny. And I am seeking a more noble profession. I'm not sure yet what but I will know soon."  
"But Samus! Your the ultimate fighting machine," Giri said with a sarcastic laugh.  
"No. They'll do fine without me,"  
Blikly took a moment to think over the situation.  
"We'll discuss it later, Samus. Anyhow, I have someone that would like to meet you. He's a CO of special operations. He's also worked in your military squad. It's likely you've actually taken orders from him at one point,"   
Blikly pressed a buzzer and a door opened. A slender, gruff looking man in uniform emerged. He slowly walked toward the two.  
"Samus, this is Adam Malkovich. He is a well respected military enthusiast,"  
"Oh? Well...glad to meet you...," said Samus, extending a hand. Adam shook his head.  
"I'm not much on greetings. You must be Samus. I've read all about you," He said while Samus looked at him oddly.   
He pulled out a small data-pad, and turned it on. He looked at it sharply.  
"Yes. Samus Aran. Lived in space colony K2-L, it was attacked by Space Pirates, lone survivor. I'm... sorry about your parents. I know how it feels to-"  
"Please go on, I don't talk about that life anymore," she interrupted   
"Oh, sorry... Anyways... you were found on a small ship by yourself. Spent three years at Research Center 'Cradit', medical examinations found that your bones had lost 50% mass, but were twice the strength. Scientists discover you were partially infused with Chozo DNA, an ancient bird like race. You adopt the last name 'Aran', after the rare and beautiful 'Aranidite' bird of planet Fylk. Incredible... You later joined a military school, where you graduated with top honors, and here I find you," Adam ended his report  
"And were you looking for me or something?"  
"In a way..."  
"What exactly do you want?" asked Samus sharply.  
"Look, lady-"  
"Lady? Did you just call me-"  
"Yes. Yes I did. Please understand that why I'm here is because special ops wants you recruited. We could use someone like you."  
"Sorry, bad timing. I'm just leaving the military, 'Mister'"  
Adam shrunk back a bit at the remark.  
"Leaving? But-"  
"I've got greater things to do. I promised myself long ago that I would avenge everyone on that colony that didn't make it, and I'm keeping that promise,"  
"What?! That's insane. You can't take on the space pirates by yourself. It's suicide,"  
"I can handle it. I'll be receiving a special 'gift' soon,"  
Samus put her hand on Adam's shoulder.  
"Pleasant to meet you. Goodbye," Said Samus, strongly, as she walked away.  
Adam and Blikly looked onward in bewilderment.  
"You said you found her in a ship?" Asked Adam  
"Yes," Blikly replied  
"I think you shoulda kept her there,"  
  
When Samus returned to the grand hall, the lights were off. A dark blue hue covered the area. A glowing portal was in the middle of the large room. Samus knew what was happening. She was prepared for this day. She leapt into the portal and was transported to the Chozo sanctuary she has been to many years before.   
  
Adam entered the room, looking for Samus.  
"Lady? Hey! Where are ya? I got news for you. It's urgent!"  
One of the doors at the end of the room opened. A tall, ominous figure stepped out. It was dressed in the most bizarre armor ever seen. On one arm was a giant weapon. The rest of the body was orange and yellow in color. An upside down green 'L' was on the armor.  
"Who-who are you?" Adam demanded.  
The figure took off it's helmet.  
"Samus! It's you... but... where did you get this armor? It's magnificent. I've never seen anything like it."  
"How long ago did you last see me?"  
"It's been about three hours. Blikly left long ago. Samus... your armor..."  
"You said you had news," Samus asked sharply  
"Yes, but where did you get-"  
"Forget the power suit. Your team can study it all you want later. Now tell me this news of yours,"  
"Yes... Samus, we just received an urgent call from Cradite. They've been taken over by-"  
Without saying anything, Samus jumped and somersaulted over Adam, and ran at high speed towards the exit. Adam looked just quickly enough to see her leave. He stroked his hair and walked away.  
  
"Impossible. How did they find it?" Thought Samus as she sped off the planet in a small cruiser.  
When she arrived in the docking bay, she already noticed that Space Pirates had been here. A childhood panic swept over her, and she felt fearful. No other ships were in the bay.  
"But what would they want here..." Samus asked herself.   
She realized the answer in a flash and ran in. Past several double doors, into the central science lab. The area was a disaster. It was in ruins. Fires, smoke, bodies everywhere. She tried to remain calm as she slowly walked across the sea of chaos. She continued to walk until something caught her eye. She stopped, dead cold. She choked once. It was Blikly. He was lying on the floor near a shattered window. Samus ran up and crouched down. He was still breathing. Samus lifted his head. He opened his eyes. She took off her helmet and threw it to the ground.  
"Sa-samus? Is that... you?" He asked weakly  
She nodded slowly.  
"They invaded. I... don't know how."  
Samus trembled and nodded again.  
"They took experiment 23, the Kuru-Kooo..."  
Samus shook him.  
"Blikly. Don't go on me," She said. "I need you," she added with a small laugh.  
Blikly gagged and tried to speak again.  
"Kill them Samus. Make them pay for what they've... done... promise me..."  
Samus nodded again, and Blikly closed his eyes. Samus thought he was gone and began to cry, the slightest bit. But he moved once more, reaching for something in his pocket "They're nearby, Samus. Stop them. They must not get away with that experiment... take my gun ship..."  
He pulled out a key card and gave to Samus with the last of his strength.  
"Go, Samus..."  
He closed his eyes and fell back. Samus lay him gently on the ground. Sparks flew around her. She slowly lifted her head. Her hair was drenched with sweat. Her expression was fixed on hatred. Her eyes were hollow. She slowly put her helmet back on. She could feel her old life disapearing.   
"I will avenge you. I will avenge everyone," Samus said with force.   
She lifted her arm cannon upwards, and slowly walked to the docking bay number the card had on it. She proceeded down a hall. She had no emotion. She though only of revenge on all the evil in the universe. It was then that a familiar foe appeared. It was a Metroid. She stopped and stared at it. The Pirates were now using Metroids all the time to wipe out colonies... The Metroid spotted Samus and charged. Samus simply stood there as it came barreling down at her. She calmly tapped a button on her arm cannon and aimed at the creature.  
"Not this time," She said with great dignity.  
She fired a missile straight at it. It made contact with the creature, and it exploded. Parts of it went flying in many directions. Samus slowly lifted her smoking arm cannon upwards once more and proceeded.  
She got to the docking bay to see this ship of Blikly's. It was yellow and was sleek in design, and had a hatch on top. Without a moment to pause, she jumped inside and activated it. The engines revved up and she departed, while arming it's weapon systems. She spotted three Pirate fighters just ahead, and began to engage...  
  


* * *

**

IV  
  
Log : 8.001.8  
Location : Outside of Space Station 'Cradite'

**  
  
Samus launches her newly found gun ship out of the bay and targets the three patrolling Pirate fighters. She activates the LL-89 plasma rifles, and immediately starts barraging the group with a spread of heavy fire without thinking or caring about the life forms inside. It didn't matter to her; these foul creatures also cared not about the people they murdered. But Samus kept telling herself that what she was doing was different. What she was doing was for the good of justice.  
The three fighters separated from each other to try and escape the relentless assault. They streamed past Samus's ship and began to reprise from behind. Samus quickly soared downward and the Pirates gave chase. She suddenly grasped the controls and started to go back upwards again. All this happened in a matter of moments, and it took the attackers by surprise. One of the fighters couldn't break away fast enough as Samus plowed through the squad. It's wing took a direct hit and exploded into a fire ball. It's ship began to barrel roll towards Samus. With quick reflexes, she banked right, causing the attacker's craft to roll on top of Samus's gun ship, while suffering only minimal damage. The fighter kept spinning away. Samus quickly curved left and finish it off with a few shots of her weapon system. It was obliterated and pieces flew everywhere.  
The remaining two fighters retaliated by each firing a homing missile. The two missiles were following her closely. Samus quickly looped upwards and cork screwed downwards where a pirate fighter just happened to be. She whizzed past it and one of the missiles hit it directly. It exploded into more fragments.  
The remaining fighter seemed to be fleeing now. Samus wasn't going to let any of them get away. She pressed a red switch to open her own set of missiles. She locked onto the pirate and fired. It rocketed right past him. Samus knew the pirate thought it was a miss - but it wasn't. The missile exploded in front of him, causing a huge flash and shock wave. The Pirate craft jerked backwards, emitting small explosions until it too was destroyed.  
Samus had finally tasted a small bit of revenge, but she wasn't satisfied. She took a moment to catch her breath before racing back towards the research center. She knew the pirates have already secured what they came for. She would have to finish this another time.  
  
Samus returns to Bomoba to attend Blikly's funeral. It takes place in one of the planet's oldest cathedrals. She shows little emotion and the whole incident seemed to be over in a heart beat. She barely even remembered the event. She had no feeling. No sadness, no happiness, no nothing.  
  
That night, Samus takes her Power Suit to the main science lab in Bomoba for studying. Adam was there as well as Peter Lohold, head of the science department. The room was full of computers and scanners. Samus calmly walked to the massive scanner in the middle of the room and placed the bundle of suit parts on the table. Peter sat down at the terminal and activated the machine. During the scan process, his mood and expression changed greatly. After a while, he took off his glasses and turned to Samus.  
"I must say this piece of machinery is quite impressive. We had trouble scanning it, actually. Well... it's made from an unknown metal substance. Very strong. Stronger then Yutonium. It's inner system contains a large number of circuits and computers. My best guess is that this suit is upgradable. I don't know how, and I don't what types of upgrades it would take or where you could find them. This armor is also impossible to duplicate, and besides that, it seems to fit only you.That's too bad, the Federation could have greatly used this. The suit's computer system seems to interact with the user, it has a very unique AI. The arm cannon here is extremely powerful and is also most likely upgradable. I must say, I'm impressed," ended Peter  
"That's quite a piece of work ya got there, lady," added Adam  
"A thing like that would sell on the market for at least a million credits,"  
"It's not getting sold, Adam. It's mine. It's a gift that only I can use properly,"  
"Yeah well-"  
"I'm going after them, Adam,"  
"What? Going after whom, may I ask?"  
"The Pirates,"  
"What?! Are you outta your mind? You'll get killed for sure, and don't think anyone would try to assist you. The Federation will-"  
"Cut the Federation talk, Adam. After only a few years of being in their services, i've learned they aren't as they seem. They care more about their own business and wealth than they do the good for the people,"  
"Stop it, lady! That's not true and you know it! The Federation is just trying to protect you, Samus. They need you. You are important to them. What do you think having you going off to get killed by the Pirates will look like on their record? They won't permit it, Samus. And nor would I,"  
"Damn it Adam, you are blind of the fact that these pirates only seek their own personal perfection while watching other races suffer. It's a common instinct. Good versus evil,"  
Adam backed up into his chair and breathed a few times and calmly re-entered the argument.  
"Look Samus. We know of the things the pirates have done, but the truth is that they are simply too big an organization to tackle in one night. They have dangerous weapons that we couldn't possibly know existed. I hate to say it, but these pirates have become more of a threat than we imagined. Even a force as strong as us must be cautious around them. If you really want to proceed with a heavy strike, I could talk to high command but don't get your hopes up..."  
"I'm not waiting, Adam. Not for back up, not for anyone,"  
Samus grabbed her power suit and put it on, helmet in hand. She headed out the door, but stopped when Adam spoke once more.  
"Samus, this is more of a personal matter isn't it. It's the only reason you'd be obsessed with taking the pirates down. It's this type of vendetta that will cause you to... lose control."  
Samus turned around.  
"No, Adam. It's not so much personal revenge. I obey the Chozo now, no one else. I am the warrior they have been waiting for..."  
"And what about the Metroid? How are they evil? They are only simple creatures with the basic instinct to survive. How much blame can you place on them?"  
Samus never answered the question. She simply put her helmet on and headed out. Peter could only sit there. He looked over at Adam, who sighed.  
Samus walked to her docked ship. She had memories of her parents, and of Blikly. But she shook them out of her head. She wanted to leave the past behind now. She told herself that it's not so much on revenge now. She told herself over and over, but the thought loomed.  
She had entered her ship and was awaiting for bay doors to open. They didn't. A ring came in on her communicator and she pressed the button near it.  
"I'm sorry Samus, the Federation needs you alive and on duty. If your not going to be in our armies, you are still bound by there laws, and you will work for them," Adam's voice came over the channel.  
"Open the doors, Adam,"  
"Look, lady, I can't. I have been assigned to keep you alive and in good health. You are not permitted to leave. And besides, where do you hope to go? There are hundreds of Pirate owned areas. What do hope to accomplish?"  
"I'm finishing something I started, Adam. I'm going to Teyat V, the nearest planet we were orbiting around when we were attacked. Something is there. I know it. Now open the doors, I'm leaving."  
"I can't. I'd be disobeying. You wouldn't want to get me in trouble would you?"  
"No. I guess not..."  
"Good. Now please exit the-"  
A loud explosion was heard and contact was lost. Samus has fired a missile at the door and left. She was already exiting the atmosphere. Adam gathered himself.  
"Great. Just great... Now what am I supposed to do?"  
Peter replied by shrugging.  
  
"Computer, set route to Teyat V," Samus told the navigation system.  
The computer beeped to confirm. It then spoke to Samus.  
"Samus. May I ask why we are going here?" Asked the system.  
"I need to find more about this Metroid menace. I also want to see who the insider was on   
K2-L and why they invaded it in the first place,"  
"I understand. I would like to remind you that my systems can repair your armor at anytime. I have a clever cloaking device that will shield me from radar, as well. Good luck, ms. Aran,"  
Samus turned off the computer, took off her helmet, and slept.  
  
She awoke to see that they were almost at the arrival point. It was Teyat V in the distance. The computer suddenly rang in.  
"Samus, the Federation will be looking for you."  
"Let them look. They won't find me."  
After a moment, the computer had another message.  
"Warning! High Pirate activity detected. Locating source..."  
The computer's terminal scanned the planet as it appeared in grid form. A square was indicated and magnified.  
"Unknown technology present. No security detected in planet's orbit. Land security is light. Determining safest route... Samus, it appears that there is a single underground compound which spans downward about half a mile. Security will no doubt be tight inside. You are going into a death trap, Samus."  
"I am prepared for this," she replied. "Computer, log in that my objective is to locate this foreign technology. Secondary objective is to eradicate the base."  
"Very well... now entering atmosphere."  
The craft slowly descended into the clouds layering the planet.  
  


* * *

**

V  
  
Log : 8.004.7  
Location : Surface of Teyat V

**  
  
Entering the atmosphere, a small conversation took place between the computer and Samus.  
"Ms. Aran, what are the whereabouts of my previous navigator? Mr. Blikly?" It asked in it's simple computer voice.  
"I'm afraid... he's dead," Samus replied  
"Dead? Why has this happened?"  
"It happened because they had something that the Pirates wanted. When they want something, they won't let anything get into their way."  
"But Samus, how did they find the station?"  
"I... I'm not sure..."  
Upon going below the clouds, Samus's ship was pelted with light rain. The sky was overcast with little light in sight. Many tree covered hills spanned the horizon. Her ship slowly landed and she activated the hover rockets to keep it a little bit above ground. The hatch at the top opened and Samus emerged. She took a moment to organize her surroundings, than leapt up and landed on the surface.  
The ground was slightly muddy and riddled with small plants and rocks. There were a few rivers around the landing site. Trees sprawled closer together to make a dense forest. Samus had never been on this planet, and yet she spent 28 days orbiting it once. She was sure the Pirates were here before the K2-L incident, and if the command team had known this, they wouldn't have even gotten close to the area. The inside source must have kept this information away from the others...  
Samus began to trod along cautiously. She constantly looked around, trying to figure out what exactly she was looking for. She witnessed the life on this fertile planet. In the trees were lizard like creatures, climbing and eating insects, while down at her feet were rodent like creatures, scurrying about. She looked up again to see beautiful birds. She found all these creatures interesting and spectacular in their own ways. But the Pirates wouldn't have cared if their entire ecosystem was destroyed.  
After a few hours of looking around in the dense forests, she came to a tall hill. Climbing on top of a rock, she peered down to notice what she had been looking for; four Pirates were guarding a large metallic door that was partially covered in vines. Samus ducked behind the rock and thought for a moment. She had never before killed a Pirate and see it directly. She wasn't quite sure about how strong these beasts were. She had also not seen one since the incident twelve years ago. She had remembered now- they were hulking beasts, but fast and skilled. They held a small plasma rifle on one of their arms, while on the other, they held what almost appeared to be completely infused wave knife. The deadly weapon was made for close combat and could cut through most anything with it's edge.  
She only had ten missiles, and it take several shots from her arm cannon to kill each one, and by then, she would have been out numbered. She wondered if there could be any other way to get through. She stood back up, still hidden from view, and switched to her scan visor. She scanned the door, and this is how she learned that the door is almost completely impervious to missiles. It did show weakness from charged beam shots. With her current weapons, she wouldn't be able to bust through it quickly enough. She turned back and walked down a hill, still thinking of an alternate way to get in. She suddenly slipped on some mud and found herself sliding downhill. She steered to the left and ended up crashing into a pillar.  
The pillar shook slightly. Samus got up and examined it. Through her suit, she could feel something beneath it. Without thinking, she stepped back and fired a missile at the base of the ancient structure. It toppled over and broke into many pieces. No doubt the guards had heard the commotion. A hole was exposed and Samus quickly dove in. Inside was a small cave with carvings on the walls. She looked around to find what appeared to be a Chozo. But it wasn't moving. Instead, it was a statue. However, it had it's hands extended as if it had a gift. Something was in it's hands, too. Samus stepped up to the object. It was a sphere with glowing red areas. It seemed like something was trying to burst out of it.   
Without warning, Samus stepped back and fired at the object. It exploded into bits to reveal a floating, glowing object. Samus barely had time to look at it when it raced towards Samus and disappeared into her suit. She felt a surge of power sweep through her. After a few moments, the words 'Charge Beam Acquired' appeared in her visor.  
So Peter was right; the suit could be upgraded. It was so odd, though, that she finds this upgrade right when she needed it. She didn't have time to think, though. She jumped out of the cave back to the surface. Not to her surprise, the four guards had been waiting for her. They stood there, growling. Samus could see that they were curious about her suit. They snarled at her and gestured a signal which must have meant for he to come with them.   
With force, they got behind Samus and watched her closely as they slowly approached the base. When they were within thirty feet, Samus quickly lowered her arm cannon and charged it up. The Pirate guards didn't have any idea what was going on. Samus fired a charge shot at the door, bursting it open. Parts of it landed on the ground with a large thud. Samus quickly ran in, and the enemy fired at her. She took cover behind a wall of the entrance and peered out to return fire. She shot four shots at the rightmost pirate, making him fall. Many shots were fired down the hall with rapid speed. Samus emerged once more and this time, she fired a missile between two of them. It exploded, and they went flying in separate directions, growling loudly. The remaining guard came charging towards the entrance, but wasn't too bright. He ran a foot ahead of where Samus was stationed. When he turned around, Samus hit him on the head hard with her arm cannon, knocking him out cold.  
When Samus proceeded through the next door, which looked like a large metal slab, a turret gun activated in the middle of the hallway. It spotted Samus and began firing. She quickly rolled out if it's way and responded by launching another missile - her third - at it. It exploded and Samus quickly continued onward though another set of doors. Security was indeed light here; the turret gun and the four guards were the only opposition she had faced.   
Samus eventually reached an inactive elevator. There seemed to be no way to activate it without a pirate code. But Samus's military training taught her that pirate codes could be cracked quickly by using a special kind of tool. She just so happened to have this tool. She activated her scan visor, and looked at the panel. Within moments, the code appeared on screen. It was too easy, she thought, while activating the console.  
Upwards the elevator went, surrounding her were cold, metal walls. When the transport reached it's target, she heard nothing on this floor. No computers, no sentry guns, no sound. She cautiously stepped outwards and proceeded through the dark hall. The only sound heard was the clanking of her boots. Suddenly, a door slammed shut behind her. It didn't budge. She could only keep going forward.  
The next room was full of computers, but again, was empty. On the walls were holographic images of what appeared to be experiments. Most of them were horrific. On all of them though, was a dissection of a Metroid. The Pirates were experimenting with these beings with negative results. It was then she spotted a computer with a Chozo statue image on it. There was a mass amount of data, as well. She scanned it and the data was encoded.  
"Odd statue found a few decaclicks from main research base. In it's hands was a sphere. Science team managed to open it, only to expose a glowing object. It seemed like an utterly useless incantation, however. After a few moments, it's luminous glow died and it disappeared. Luckily, we managed to download all the data it held. Further investigations commencing."  
Samus scanned the terminal and once again hacked many pirate codes to download the unknown data into her system.  
As she pressed onward into the next research room, which was also empty, she spotted one more computer similar to the past one. She proceeded to download this new data, as well. Suddenly, an alarm sounded and three mega turrets emerged and aimed at Samus. These turrets were much more powerful and were used to guard the most valuable areas. She quickly ran through the next door for cover. She turned around and took out all three sentry guns with five missiles and a few charge shots. This next room was very large and very dark. Three tanks were placed along the walls. Each had a preserved Metroid in it. One held a Machtroid, a weaker cousin of the Metroid, one held a normal Metroid, and the other held a hunter Metroid, a more mature and more deadly Metroid. This must be the central core base, hidden deep within a mountain. The alarm suddenly cut off and the doors slammed shut. Samus turned around to see the roof of the research lab rise upwards, exposing a second floor which couldn't be accessed from where she was standing.  
When it rose, it exposed a group of Space Pirates surrounding her, looking down. It seemed they were putting on a show, and she was the main attraction. She remained still and observed what was happening. The Pirates only starred down at her. She looked all around and saw one figure, turned around. He was not a pirate. He was a human, dressed in a black cloak. After a minute, he turned around slowly. Samus already knew who he was.  
"Who are you, intruder? What do you want?" he asked  
Samus said nothing, but aimed her gun at him.  
"I said who are you?!"  
Samus lowered her gun and stood up.  
"I'm here to stop the operation," she said cooly.  
The man just stood there.  
"Really now? And how did you know about... this place?"  
The man was dressed so much, only his face could be seen.  
"I'm here to avenge the death of General Blikly, and many others," Samus replied  
He said nothing for a moment.  
"That is very unique armor... where did you get it?"  
"I cannot tell you,"  
The pirates growled in impatience.   
"What have you done with the experiment on Cradite?"   
"What experiment?"  
"Tell me! The dragon!"  
"You tell me who you are, first,"  
"Samus is my name,"  
"I do not believe I know any Samus. And I don't know how you got past security. Your little game of running around my labs and destroying things is over. Since you seem so concerned about our Metroids, perhaps you'd like to meet our finest specimen,"   
"What have you done with the Kuru?!"  
"Ridley? He is safe with us. But I am sorry, mysterious stranger, but I do not permit this kind of behavior. Goodbye,"  
At the word, a door opened beneath her, and a Metroid came flying out. The Pirates began to laugh, and the man smiled. Before Samus could prep her weapons, the Metroid leapt up and charged at Samus. It grabbed onto her suit and Samus felt the oddest sensation. Her whole body was tingling and she noticed she began to feel light headed. It also was causing mass pain all over. She could still hear the pirates laugh, and she began to lose concentration as she saw the Metroid attached to her visor. Desperately, she activated everything in her suit, searching for a way to get this thing off her.  
The tall man watched the Metroid draining the intruder's energy and he thought he almost had her when she suddenly turned into a small ball. He was instantly amazed. The ball began to roll around the arena and the Pirates stopped laughing and just starred at the spectacle. All of a sudden, the ball fired a small glowing object which soon exploded. The Metroid was stunned and let go of it's victim. Samus got up and fired a charged beam shot at it, destroying it. She felt weak all over, and instantly kneeled down. She looked up at the man, who had little emotion on his face.  
"Intruder, I know not where you got such technology, but I assure you, once you are dead, my team will strip it from you and it will be used for our benefit. You have done an excellent job at angering me, and now I will make sure you properly disposed of,"  
"Don't count on it, Giri," Samus said softly  
He starred down at Samus.  
"How do you know who I am? No one besides my fellow pirates say that name and lives! Prepare to die, intruder!"  
Samus could hear the fear in his voice that he was trying to hide. He pressed a button in the control panel in front of you and a door in front of her opened. She slowly stood up. A giant beast slowly emerged through the darkness. It had legs and claws. It had the green and pink colors of a Metroid, but looked more like a reptlian beast. It had eyes and a tail, as well. It stomped towards once more, and after looking at Samus, it reared up and roared an ear piercing screech.  
"Your cute little tricks won't save you from my 'pet', intruder. My Omega Metroid will finish off what's left of you!"  
  


* * *

**

VI  
  
Log : 8.009.5  
Location : Research Lab 46-H

**  
  
The large creature stood there examining Samus, as if awaiting a command.  
"Tell me, before you die, how did you acquire the ability to turn into a ball and use bombs? I also do not understand how you managed to hack through all our codes," Giri said  
"You just left them... laying around," Replied Samus  
"Of course... those statues we came upon... well I can assure you that your unique suit will be of great use to us. But now you will learn that anyone who meddles in our affairs will suffer severe punishment. Goodbye," Giri ended while snapping his fingers.  
The Pirates began to laugh once more. The Omega Metroid suddenly swiped at Samus with it's massive claws. Samus was hit and went flying to the wall. The lumbering beast slowly walked toward the wounded Samus. She got up and fired her remaining missiles at the beast's belly, but they simple bounced off and exploded on the floor. The small tremor caused one of the Metroid tubes to crack a small bit. The giant Metroid swung around, whacking Samus with it's tail. She went flying in the other direction. Giri stood and watched.  
The strong beast turned around and swiped at Samus. She had just enough strength to roll out of the way this time. She crouched and charged up a beam shot. The beast once again approached Samus, slowly. Samus fired the shot at the beast, but it too, bounced off. It hit the Metroid tank, causing it to shatter. A small cloud of icy mist poured out. To Samus's surprise, the creature snarled loudly and desperately backed up to avoid the mist. Some of it made contact with the giant creature, causing it to screech in pain. It reared up right in front of the tanks.  
It was than that Samus spotted the coolant pipes attached to the preserved Metroid tanks. She looked up at Giri, whose face had turned to shock and surprise. Samus looked back down and charged up a beam shot while the creature was stunned. She aimed at the cooling pipes.  
"NO!" Yelled Giri as Samus fired at the pipes.  
Freezing cold mist burst out like hot steam. It quickly shrouded the creature in a cloud. It wailed back and fourth, screaming and kicking. It screeched loudly as it sent it's forearms on a rampage. In it's clumsiness, it knocked down a girder, which caused a large beam to full from the ceiling, which created a ramp up to the second floor from the bottom one. Samus could spot Giri retreating through her foggy visor. The coolant had spread all over the room, hindering the vision of the pirates. Samus could still spot the Omega Metroid, which was now frozen completely. Icicles hung on it's limbs. Without haste, Samus ran after Giri by running up the ramp. Pirates fired at her in all directions but kept missing.   
Samus could feel herself growing weaker by the moment, but she had to press on. In the next small room, she shut the door behind her. The door in front of her was also sealed. There seemed to be no way out of the room, until Samus spotted a ventilation shaft. She curled into her ball and entered. She went down a slope and few turns when she dropped into a new room via the ceiling. She un-morphed and examined the area. A large metal door stood there, and there was a computer by it. The words on it read : 'Warning. Main cooling system. Level six security access required."  
She got a reading on the computer that said that the cooling system was slowly but steadily losing coolant. A rupture had occured in a lab. Samus knew what this was; the pipes were linked to the Metroid preservation room she had been in. She decided that she needed to destroy the coolant system, which would cause the base's reactor to overheat and wipe out this whole compound in one quick blow.   
She fired a charged beam shot at the door. It only became dented. She fired another. After five hits, it was full of dents but still did not open. She used her arms to push the sides apart to forcefully open it. After using all her remaining strength, it finally opened. She ran into the room, and no one was there. Large spheres covered the area; these were coolant tanks. If she just fired at one, the whole place would blow. She had to find a way slowly release the gas. Just then, three Pirates emerged from behind her. Samus turned around to see them. They did not fire, but they approached slowly and cautiously with their dagger like weapons ready. One jumped at Samus and she quickly dodged it while another came swinging. Samus jumped up, causing the creature to trip. She landed on it's back. She turned to fire at the third, but it quickly ducked behind a tank. The other Pirate, who had jumped before, came running. Samus kicked his head before he had a chance and then she jumped and ran to behind a tank. The lights suddenly turned off, and she could hear the door slam. She peeked out to see that no one was around.  
Samus ran to the exit but it was shut tight. There seemed to be no way out. She suddenly glimpsed at a small box on the ground, there was a display on it with changing letters. She already knew what it was - a bomb. These Pirates were going to blow the cooling systems, freezing the entire area. Samus would be killed, but her suit would remain intact, which is exactly what they wanted, even if it meant the destruction of the base. There seemed to be no way out. There was only one door. After quickly looking around for a bit, she soon noticed another door. The ticker was almost at detonation time, and she had to hurry. This other door was massive, and there wasn't any computer terminal nearby. She began to fire at the door, but nothing happened. It seemed as though she was doomed. The bomb ticked on, sure to be near it's target. Samus collapsed on the floor from her efforts. She barely had any strength left.  
All seemed doomed until something odd happened. The large door began to open! It screeched and grinded as though it was being opened by another force. It suddenly tore open and Samus saw an amazing sight. The beast, now named Ridley, stood there with it's arms holding the door opened. It had orange eyes, a huge tail, and sleek wings. It was a little larger than her. It stared down at Samus before backing out and flying straight up.  
Samus was amazed. Why had the creature saved her? Samus could only think that perhaps the creature was intelligent - very intelligent. Had it saved Samus because it was good? Samus thought not. Perhaps it saved her because it wanted to battle Samus herself at another place and another time. But this was no time for wondering. Samus quickly exited the room and took a moment to look up to see where the creature had gone. A massive ventilation shaft was seen on the ceiling, and the creature must have escaped through it. Samus hastily raced across the corridor. The bomb went off with a loud explosion and icy mist came pouring out, chasing after Samus. She looked back to see a surge of fog coming her way, but it began to die down. It slowed completely and Samus saw the damage it had done. The entire hall behind her was frozen, icicles hung from the ceiling in great numbers. An alert sounded and red lights blanketed the hall.  
'Warning! Coolant failure! Reactor Core overheating! Restore coolant immediately, reactor will go critical in fifteen minutes! All personal evacuate now if coolant cannot be recovered!'  
Samus turned and ran down the rest of the corridor. She made many turns and past many intersections. She had no idea where to go, however. She passed many Pirates that were too busy evacuating to notice her. Time eluded Samus as she ran towards the exit. She felt that her objective was not complete, but she could finish it another time. She soon arrived at the entrance of a large hangar bay. Giri was entering a large cruiser, pirates protecting him on all sides. Samus peeked over to seem enter. She turned around, the exit was in sight. She only had four minutes left to vacate the compound.   
Samus began to walk across to it, but suddenly, the base shook and an explosion occured in front of the exit. Tons of rumble came down, blocking it. Fires were also starting to erupt all across the area. A group of fireballs came falling, nearly scorching Samus. She ran back out into the hangar. The cruiser was beginning to leave. It emitted flames from it's back side and began to propel. The temperature was rising in the hangar quickly from a combination of the reactor's melt down and the frigate's exhaust. The large ship roared and began to leave. The heat was becoming unbearable. Samus decided to leave the hangar, but the door was slammed shut, trapping her inside. She could feel her heart race. The hangar door was wide open, the frigate slipping through it. Samus gathered her strength and ran through the heat, trying to make it before the doors closed. Numerous eruptions followed her as the base was being ripped apart.  
Her power suit was actually getting burned by the heat, and Samus's body temperature was rising to critical. She was reaching the point where she would fall and faint. She was extremely tired, all her muscles ached. Giri had not expected Samus to escape alive, but she must. The ship departed the hangar and quickly rose above the ground. The whole hangar shook violently as the hangar doors were beginning to close from the sides. Sweat poured from the intruder's forehead. She just kept sprinting for the door. Her body seemed to be running mechanically now. She closed her eyes when she felt the intense heat behind her.   
The next thing she remembered was that she made it outside, back into the forest, laying down on the ground. She had enough energy to peer to her right to see the mountain the base was hidden in start to explode all over. Loud booms pierced through her armor. She slowly turned her head upwards. She make out the shadow of a large craft's shadow in front of the glaring sun. She closed her eyes and passed out, laying still on the ground. She slept peacefully.  
  


* * *

**

VII  
Log : 8.010.3  
Location : Medical Frigate sick bay in orbit around Teyat V Moon

**  
  
Samus began to slowly regain consciousness. Her head was pounding and her mouth felt dry. She also felt naked; the confined heat had left her. She slowly opened her eyes to see her power suit had been removed. She was dressed in medical clothing. She raised her head over her pillow and looked around. She was alone in a white room. Objects flew past her eyes, only delusions, she knew. She let her head rest back down. A few hours past when she saw a familiar friend and a doctor walk in.  
Adam was dressed in military uniform, his hands in his pockets. He stood there for a moment and than smiled. He walked to one side of the room while the doctor approached Samus.  
"What... happened," She asked  
"Ms. Aran, we found you on the ground of Teyat. You were suffering from severe heat stroke. We've nursed you back to health. Your muscles will probably remain a little tense for the rest of the day. You were asleep in here for fourteen hours. Your lucky to be alive. If Adam hadn't sent for you, you wouldn't of had made it," the doctor replied.  
Samus looked over at Adam.  
"You always have to do things your own way, don't ya, lady?" Adam said with a chuckle, "Disobeying orders, blowing a hole in the docking bay, endangering yourself by walking right into a Pirate base. And yet you survive. You surprise me, ya know,"  
"Where's my suit?" Samus asked quickly.  
The doctor looked down and slowly walked away. He came back a minute later, holding the power suit so Samus could see it all. It was the first time Samus realized just how much punishment it had taken; the front of it had numerous scorch marks, and the arm cannon was slightly dented. But the back side, however, was completely charred black. The heat had eaten right through it. It had sustained much damage. Samus looked a little shocked, but remained calm.  
"Can it be repaired?"  
"Yes, but it will take time. As you know, it's very advanced. Our strongest engineers and technicians will work around the clock to make sure it's back in full operational order. In the mean time, you still need rest," the doctor said.   
He poured some water out of a pitcher into the large glass by Samus's bed.  
"We'll be docking with the battleship, 'Deca' soon. Just give a call if you need anything," he said before leaving.  
Adam knelt beside Samus in his chair.  
"So, what happened down there? Something big considering the large crater we found. Tell me,"  
"I upgraded my suit some..." Samus said tiredly, "And killed some Metroids... one of them was really big... and different,"  
"Go on,"  
"I believe it was called an Omega Metroid. It may have been a fully matured Metroid, but... I'm not sure..."  
"Yes, I see. Anything else?"  
"They have that beast there... they named it Ridley. I only saw it once... but it saved me,"  
Adam looked a bit surprised.  
"Is that all? I can understand if you are too tired to remember anything-" Adam asked  
"No. One more thing... I found who the insider was,"  
"Who?!" Adam quickly asked  
"Captain... Giri..."  
Adam fell back in his chair and sighed.  
"So it was Giri. This will be difficult to explain. Well Samus, I have an important meeting. You stay here and get some rest. If your wondering about your gunship, it's waiting for you in the shuttle bay. Bye," Adam finished.  
He left the room leaving Samus by herself once more. She tried to rethink about the day's events but fell asleep instead.  
  
Adam boarded 'Deca', the large cruiser that the medical frigate was now attached too, and proceeded to the grand conference room for a talk about recent events. He walked down corridors and was greeted by a maid who let him in. The room had on one side, a large window. He could see the volcanic surface of the moon they were orbiting. The rest of the room composed of a large wooden table and white walls. Many important people from the Federation were waiting for a conference. Adam knew this one was going to have big news. Adam took his seat among the fifteen other people and the doors closed. The Federation Chancellor was at one end of the table. He was a bearded man in his early 50's. He got up and went to the podium, causing the conversations to die down.   
"Welcome, everyone. I'd like to start off by saying that we have many important events to converse upon. Most of it has to do with recent Space Pirate activity. So let's get right to it," He said, signaling a person to start the holographic display.  
The shutters on the window closed and large holographic images appeared on them of some parts of the Galaxy. An area was magnified to show the sector planet Bomoba was located in.   
"Agents in the field have reported that the rumors that Pirates may attack Bomoba have become true. We fear that they may be already getting ready. Given their weapons, they may kill thousands," he said  
The entire conference room was aghast and people began to bicker with one another. Adam rolled back in his chair and clicked his teeth. One of the men raised a voice.  
"Chancellor, why would Pirates do such a thing? We are heavily defended and this is unlike them!"  
"We are still not quite sure but Bomoba's defenses can not stand strong forever if they commence with this invasion. Plus, a Metroid infestation could be deadly. I have already ordered the evacuation of all civilians in the capital city, but this will take time. I'm rounding up all military personal possible but we simply do not have enough time to get up to full force," he replied.  
"But Chancellor, what are we to do? We are not ready for such an attack!" a woman said  
"Yes I know, but that's where Malkovich comes in," he added.  
The Chancellor called forth a high ranking officer of the Federation to the podium, and took his seat. The officer showed the surrounding area of Bomoba's orbit on the screen. Approaching ship's were shown along with a larger one.  
"Now we believe that they will be approaching in this direction. Their command ship is heavily armored but if we can take it out, the Space Pirates won't have any command for at least an orit-click. This will give us the advantage we need. Again, we do not why Pirates would attack such a heavily populated planet. They've attacked small colonies on many others, but never have they attempted something like this. Our squadron here will surprise them from behind, trapping their fleet. I would now like Malkovich to speak," the officer ended.  
Adam stood up and went to the podium. He coughed once than asked,  
"I'll be taking any questions you have now,"  
Everyone raised their hands. Adam pointed to someone.  
"What about these Metroid creatures?" she asked  
"Yes... the Metroids are a species which were recently discovered. The Pirates are using them to wipe out colonies. They are an energy draining parasitic like animal. If they sense a life form, they instinctively attack it. Simple minded but dangerous. No doubt the Pirates plan to use them against us,"  
Adam took another question.  
"What about this Samus Aran?"  
"Ah yes, Ms. Aran. The Federation is trying desperately to convince her to fighting for them, but she's a free spirit. You are probably wondering what is so special about her. She is a genetically enhanced human. An ancient race called the Chozo somehow found her. We know very little about the Chozo. However, ruins of their civilization spread throughout the Galaxy. Samus also wears a very powerful power suit which is impossible to duplicate. Recently, Samus escaped from a Space Center and infiltrated a Pirate base. She was almost killed but blew the compound into dust while she was at it. Authorities are still questioning the incident. We are already coming up with a plan for Samus to assist us in this upcoming battle. This cruiser that the Pirates are bringing in is basically their strongest air command. If we bring it down, the Pirates will be, for the most part, stuck on planets. They would no longer be able to attack us with groups of fighters,"  
"What about this experiment that the Pirates stole?"  
"That being saved Samus in the Pirate compound. We know little at this current time.The being has an IQ of 150 before it was stolen, so it's likely it is a complex matter of turning it against us. We simply do not have enough information at this time. Next?"  
"Mr. Malkovich, what is our time frame for this attack?"  
"We must pull out immediately. They have already breached Gamma Sector. It could be as little as sixteen hours. Our fleet here will take them from the back. We will not fail in this mission,"  
  
A few more hours passed of questions and discussions. The group went over the same topics until it finally ended. Everyone dispersed, Adam leaving last. Adam was walking down the halls and to his surprise, found Samus in the lounge area of the cruiser. She was reading a holo-net paper and had her legs crossed. She was dressed casually and sitting on a big red chair. She looked up at Adam.  
"So... you're lookin' well, lady,"  
"I'm fine. I'm just reading the latest news,"  
"Is something troubling you?"  
"No. Why?"  
"You are acting a bit... odd,"  
"Samus, I just realized that I don't you very well..."  
"There's not much to know,"  
"Samus, I have to talk to you-"  
"About the Pirate attack? Yes, I know,"  
"Engaging hyper drive!" roared the PA  
"Samus, we have come up with a special mission for you, and you must obey it this time,"  
"Yeah yeah... sure," Samus replied while still looking at the news.  
"Samus, listen. We need you to stay here and hack into their shielding system. Your time in the military has made you an excellent hacker. Understood?"  
At the sound of that, Samus deactivated the paper and looked at Adam with a curious expression.  
"You want me to hack into the Pirate mainframe?"  
"Yes, Samus,"  
"I have this power suit, an excellent gun ship, and you saw what I did on Teyat. So why are you telling me to stay here and hack into a mainframe?!"  
"Samus, it's not in my control. It's what high command decides. Besides, Samus you do not currently have your power suit remember? It's still being repaired. But we've downloaded the scanning program within into our database so you can use it. You are the only one who knows how to use it, Samus. That it why you are needed for this job. Now I know you want to settle the score with Giri, but this is what best suits you. Deactivating their shields would prove invaluable to us. Please do this,"  
"You people are going to get killed! Don't you understand that I have the ability to take out that command vessel myself? Certainly you have scientists who can hack into their systems. Get them to do it. Let me do my job. I can do it even without my suit!"  
"No Samus, the Federation needs you alive! You will not disobey this time!"  
"Tell me, Adam. The Federation is strong enough to attack the Pirates, but yet they insist on letting them attack us first! Explain that, too me!"  
Samus said nothing more and left the room, peeved. Adam looked down and shook his head.  
  
Adam stood in the fighter bay along with thirty-three others. They were just now entering their fighters, eager to do combat. The Federation star cruiser was approaching Bomoba. Pirate craft was already detected in the sector. Adam radioed Samus, who was in the main computer room. She was still unsatisfied with the position she was placed in. She was truly beginning to question how well the Federation handled these issues. She knew many would die. She could feel something coming. She knew she had to finish the job she started on Teyat.  
"Samus are you ready? We are almost in pinging distance. You are very safe on that ship, as you know. Just stay there and do your job and i'll do mine, good luck!"  
"Good luck to you Adam, you watch yourself out there," Samus replied  
The cargo bays opened and the fighters rushed out and bombarded the enemy fighters who were already dispersed. At the same time, Bomoba planetary defense was coming from the planet. An immediate fire fight began, with ships flying everywhere. Adam was ready for this moment. He was ready to command his fleet.  
"Alright! Squadron attack left flank! Blue units, get full fire on that M-Class frigate! Watch yourself and take 'em down!"  
Fighters spread in all directions. The match seemed about even. Larger enemy vessels fired ion cannons, while the fighters engaged in dog fights. Many men on both sides had already gone down.  
"Listen up, crew! The Pirates will be in range of Bomoba is less than eight tria-clicks! Try to focus on taking the large ones out!"   
Adam could just barely make out the detail of the large command ship, far off in the background.  
"If the enemy gets within three Tria-Clicks, the planetary force field will activate, but it won't hold out for long! Keep attacking!"  
Suddenly, an enemy engaged Adam. Adam pulled a loop and fired at it. It was just another kill for him. He looked at his reading. Twelve of his men had already been destroyed, but they were holding out fine.  
Mean while, back in the computer station, Samus was preparing to begin the hacking progress. She was almost within range.  
Adam and the defense team kept on engaging the enemies. Two frigates had been brought down.  
"Samus, we are getting a little close here. The pirates will be in range in about an hour. Are you in ping distance yet?"  
"Almost, Adam. Just a little closer... how's it going there?"  
"We are fairing pretty well, I think we can hold out a bit longer. Hurry, Samus,"  
Samus glanced at her terminal. She witnessed the fighting outside through a camera. Laser shots were going off in all directions. Ping distance was in five... four... three... two...  
Suddenly, the readings went dead. No enemies appeared on radar.  
"Adam?! What happened out there?"  
"Samus it's... it's unbelievable. I was about to fire a missile at a frigate when it... disappeared! Gone! It just vanished!"  
Samus got very nervous.  
"Adam, what do you mean?"  
"I think they are using a cloaking device of some sort. I did not expect this... this is not good. Samus see if you can do anything! We need to know where these guys are! Hurry! My team's getting wiped out now!" Adam exclaimed with excitement  
On the battlefield, invisible fighters were bringing down pain on the unsuspecting defenders. Adam ordered a retreat with only three men left. He raced towards the safety of the space station. He didn't even know if someone could be following him. The fighter in front of him was suddenly destroyed, and than another. They were going down like flies. Planetary defense was also losing control and began to retreat. Just as Adam reached the sanctity of the station, his last fighter was fired upon and destroyed. Adam entered the docking bay, heart racing. He peered out. Even though her could see nothing, he knew that the pirates were focusing on the planet. He struggled to regain thought but had little idea on what to do now.  
  


* * *

**

VIII

  
Log : 8.010.3  
Location : Entering Bomoba's Orbit, Beta Sector**  
  


"Adam? Adam, what do we do now?" Samus asked through radio  
"What can we do? We can only watch now..." He replied  
"Don't talk like that! That's not the CO I know!"  
"Samus, it's hopeless..."  
"No it isn't. Listen to me, the command ship must be operating the cloak field. It's the only one visible. If I can get in there and disable the shields, planetary defense can win this easily,"  
"Samus, that's impossible! There's no way you'd get in there alive! And it would be disobeying a direct order by letting you do that!"  
"If we don't do something quick, many people will die! I was born to do this sort of thing! Let me go in! I can do it! Come on, Adam! Do what's right!"  
A long pause. Samus could only wait for Adam's answer. After thirty seconds, she was about to turn off the radio, when Adam's voice came on again.  
"Samus, we have order that if something like this were to occur, we must self-destruct this cruiser. The blast would incinerate everything near by. But Samus... I refuse to do such a thing. I am going to disobey an order for you, Samus. And this is your new command! Go to the science wing and pick up your suit and get into that command ship! Is that understood Samus? We're all counting on you now,"  
"Yes, sir!" Samus said with dignity.   
She quickly left the room and headed down to the science lab. She slipped in a key card and entered. Peter was sitting at a computer. Samus's suit was hanging in the room behind a case. She walked up and bashed the glass, causing Peter to turn around,  
"What are you doing?!" He yelled  
"Taking this," Samus replied cooly, "Gee, it looks fully repaired to me,"  
"No Samus! You- you can't take it! We need it!"  
Samus shot a quick glance at the computer. She knew what was going on; they were trying to copy the suit. The Federation's ignorance is now up another notch.  
"Sorry, Peter. This isn't for the Federation!" She said.  
Samus left the room leaving Peter stunned in the room. She soon arrived at the docking bay where Adam was waiting. Everything but her helmet was on, which she held in one hand. She ran up to Adam who was shorter than Samus now.  
"Samus, good luck. I hope we can work together again," He exclaimed.  
Adam extended a hand and Samus shook it and smiled. She slapped her helmet on it jumped inside her yellow space craft and raced off. The wind blew Adam's hair, who was standing there defiantly.   
"Good luck, lady," he said to himself.  
  
Samus's suit was still somewhat damaged. She wasn't happy to learn that the morph ball function had been destroyed, but perhaps the ability could be regained at a later time... She just hoped that she could avoid any and all Metroid attacks.  
Samus's ship soared across space, quickly approaching the large command ship. It began firing lasers at her. She dodged some and got hit by others, but her ship could take a lot of punishment. Samus couldn't be sure if enemies were approaching from behind our not. She suddenly got hit from behind. Any number of enemies could be behind her. Samus started rolling and doing tactical maneuvers to avoid getting hit. She continue getting pounded though and her shields were starting to get weak.  
She was now under the ominous command ship. She fired missiles at the docking doors, blowing them apart. Numerous pieces of it and Space Pirates were sucked out into the vacuum of space. In the distance, she could see the approaching planet, still small though. Samus piloted her ship upwards, right into the docking bay. When she entered, autoguns began to fire at her ship. She leapt out and blasted them with her arm cannon. Defenses were completely destroyed in the docking bay.   
The intruder ran up to the air lock door and waited for it to open, and when it did, she stepped in and the room repressurized. The next door opened and Samus ran in, blasting all Pirates in sight. An alarm went off and troopers appeared on all sides. Samus ducked behind a pillar. Pirates were coming quickly from everywhere. When the moment was right, Samus made a run for the door. She took some hits, but her armor kept her just fine. Samus blew the controls causing the door to slam shut. She was now in the sleeping corridors, where seemingly no one was in at the current time. Samus continued down the corridor quickly. She didn't have much time. She charged her arm cannon, preparing for combat. Onward past the sleeping area, and into the dining area. Several Pirates were here. They ran up to her with weapons ready. Samus blasted one and punched the other. They were obviously not ready for this surprise attack.   
It began to become a redundant chore to wipe out these Pirates. Samus just kept sweeping though room after room, hoping to arrive at the control room. The Pirates were indeed intelligent life forms, but they didn't have the cunning intellect humans had. They were more like mindless monsters with a brain. A few more auto guns later, nothing succeeded in stopping Samus.   
She soon arrived at a large door. She blasted it open and walked into a small empty room. It was dark inside and Samus could see nothing. She stepped a little more forward and her visor began to receive interference. It got so bad that she couldn't see anything. She cautiously removed her helmet, leaving her vulnerable. It wasn't log after that something hit Samus's neck. It was a painful sting. She reached over and pulled out a dart before collapsing.   
  
Samus awoke in a large chamber. Computers flickered all about. Her helmet was back on, too. She was laying on the ground. She tried to get up but her legs trembled a bit. She eventually managed. This large room she was in was a dome. She look far across to one side and saw a large window. The planet Bomoba was in sight. The command ship was now orbiting the atmosphere. She must have been out for about ten minutes; the dart must have used very little drugs. The dark presence of the dome told Samus exactly what was happening; she was in a 'show' again. The Pirates really wanted her to go down in a battle like this. Nothing happened for a few minutes, than a hidden door at one end opened. Giri stepped out and walked toward Samus.  
Samus didn't want to take any chances, so she prepped her arm cannon - but she suddenly noticed that it wasn't there! It had been completely removed, just leaving an arm like her left one. She wiggled her fingers on her right arm. It felt very awkward not having her weapon there.  
"I'm guessing that you've noticed you've lost your weapon, my friend," Giri said, "But you won't be needing it, Samus. I've planned a special duel for you. But this time, it will only be me watching. Just me. You will be dueling one of our finest specimens. I shall enjoy watching you lose. After it pins you to the ground, you can watch the capital city down below flare up into one giant explosion. Our laser cannon is already prepared to fire upon it. With one swift blow, the menace of the Federation will be gone, and the Pirates will install a new law among the people. I'm glad to have you aboard to watch this event, Samus,"  
"I can challenge anything you throw at me, Giri. No matter what the odds,"  
"Poor diluted fool... I do not know you personally, and wait, I feel as if you've been following me for many years... I suppose that after you die, I will find out who you are exactly... So Samus, what do you think of our latest technology?"  
"How did you cloak..."  
"Ah yes, that. It was a little present we picked up at a space colony. Some scientists were just not using it at the moment, so we acquired it from them. It's called the Chameleon Manta. Quite a clever device isn't it?"  
It was beginning to make sense to Samus now... her father had worked on that project...  
"Why did you do it?" Samus Asked  
"Do what?"  
"Join the Pirates..."  
"Oh Samus, if only you could realize how much they've done. Their a marvelous race, really. Once you get to them that is, instead of running around and blasting them at every corner,"  
"They are cold hearted murderers, nothing more,"  
"No, no... this is only their way of living. Every thing they do is pure justice. The Federation has taken all that they had strived for, and now we will show our true power. We could still use you Samus, together we could restart the Galaxy anew. We will erase all the corruption that the Federation has sowed upon us. We will show the masses what it takes to create a working society in space. So Samus, I ask you one last time... will you accompany us?"  
"Go to hell," Samus replied sharply  
"Pity. Well Samus, this specimen you are about to face is a prototype for our new suit. We have yet to get an actual living organism in one because of the high radiation, but the one we are using will suffice. It was once a Space Pirate, until we spliced it's DNA with that of a Metroid's and used many infusion techniques to make this creature able to survive. This suit is superior to yours in almost every way. I'm sorry to say that we have not yet perfect the arm cannon, but development is underway. We gave our creation a special code name, Samus. Remember it's name with your last breath. Remember the one that finally defeated you. Goodbye now,"  
Giri suddenly disappeared through a hidden elevator in the floor and reappeared behind a plating of glass near the top of the dome. He viewed Samus from afar. Using a microphone, he spoke out loud.  
"Vertico, engage duel mode!"  
A pedestal arose in front of Samus with a weapon on it; it was the same close range knife the Pirates used. It glowed it's yellowish color.  
"I suggest you take that, Samus," Giri said  
Samus grabbed the weapon and attached it to her right wrist. Her training in the military taught her how to do close range fights, but she wasn't accustomed to such battling. She knew the creature behind the door would be more experienced than herself...

* * *

**VIV**  
**Log : 8.012.1  
****Location : Command Deck Omega**   


  


The giant doors opened at the end of the dome and almost immediately, a blue figure came rushing out. It glowed a pale blue. The creature's suit looked similar to Samus's, but it had broader shoulders and it's left arm was equipped with a Pirate knife. It's visor was solid black. The eerie blue glow cast shadows in the dome. The being stopped in front of Samus and raised it's left arm. Samus rose her right arm.  
The being suddenly lashed out at Samus, but Samus jump back and crouched. She swiped at Vertico with a kick, but it jumped up to avoid it. Vertico leapt at Samus and slashed her armor. The cut was light, but sheared a clean cut into Samus's suit. Samus quickly jumped back once more and went into a guarding stance. Vertico rushed at her, knife ready. Samus dodged left and swiped at Vertigo's back. Vertico quickly turned around the blocked the attack. Samus made some swipes at Vertico, but it either blocked or dodged them all. It had very quick reflexes. Vertico, tired with the ordeal, leapt over Samus and swung at her. Samus ducked just in time and then got back up and jumped to the side. Samus circled around Vertico in guard stance. She jabbed at the creature and it blocked it. Samus used her left arm to swing at Vertico, but it grabbed her arm with it's right one. Samus quickly pulled out and was again at the ready. Vertico began a melee of quick jabs, causing Samus to back up constantly. She was eventually pinned next to the wall. Vertico thrust a jab with all it's might at Samus's head. Samus quickly ducked, causing the creature to jab straight into the wall, making it stuck. It hastily tried to pull it's knife out. Samus got behind the creature and prepared to strike, but the creature retaliated with a back kick, knocking Samus down onto her back. Vertico became free and came down at Samus, who rolled out of the way and got back up.  
Vertico hesitated for a moment before running back to the wall. It jumped off of it, causing itself to come diving down at Samus. Samus tried to get back, but she wasn't fast enough; the creature cut off a big chunk of armor on her arm. It was from the side, luckily. The creature once again began to swipe repeatedly at Samus, making her block everything and retreat back. Samus was beginning to lose energy from the relentless assaults by the being. She was forced back to the pedestal, where she acquired the knife earlier. She got behind the small pillar, and Vertico quickly swiped at Samus from behind it. It chopped the pedestal in half.   
Samus got back up and dodged more attacks, being forced back even more. She took a moment to look at the pedestal and she noticed something on it - a concealed elevator control terminal.  
Vertico came down on Samus once more, and this time, Samus ran to the left. She was far away from Vertico, but it already began running towards Samus. Samus positioned herself just right for the plan she had concocted. The creature was getting closer to Samus, who was now kneeling on the ground, keeping an eye on the broken pedestal. The right moment came; Vertico was on the elevator, about to make one final swipe at Samus. Samus quickly scanned the controls and the elevator began to descend. Vertico was surprised and stood still, wondering what was happening. The creature sunk below the floor, and when it was low enough, Samus swung at it, decapitating it in one strike.   
It's helmet went flying upwards and an ear piercing screech followed. Black smoke poured upwards from the elevator shaft, followed by a loud explosion and a bright light. The floor beneath Samus shook violently; the creature had exploded with tremendous force, causing the floor to ripple and break apart. The floor now was riddled with holes and uprooted girders. Samus peered upwards to see the look on Giri's face; he certainly had not expected this. All of a sudden, a blue glow erupted from the shaft, and an undulating blob of radiation soared upwards before coming down at Samus. Samus could do nothing but watch as the blob feasted upon her suit. Instead of causing harm though, it dug right into her armor and spread through out. Surges spread through Samus's body. When it ended, she looked at her arms. They were glowing blue, like Vertico's suit was. Then to her surprise, her other arm's knife attachment had been replaced by a brand new arm cannon! She had acquired a new suit; the Vertico Suit.  
Samus peered upwards to see the look of dismay upon Giri's face. He began to rapidly type something onto his terminal.   
"Command verified. Targeting capital city of Bomoba. Firing time in T minus thirty seconds. All personal vacate the laser room," came a computer voice that ricocheted across the dome.  
"You have still lost, Samus. Soon all that will remain of the Federation will be a mountain of ashes. You had your chance, Samus," Giri exclaimed.  
Samus quickly noticed a mainframe area in a side room from the dome. She quickly ran up to it and Giri was already screaming through the microphone.  
"No Samus! Stay away from there!!!"  
Ms. Aran hacked right into the computers and activated the cancellation code for the firing sequence. The laser operation was completely terminated. She needed to more damage, so she sent a call to Planetary Defense to recommence attack. Lastly, she deactivated the shields and cloak field for all Pirate craft in the area. Samus then backed up and kicked hard at the mainframe, destroying it. Her mission was now almost complete. Samus walked back to the center of the dome and looked up at Giri.  
"Look's like you've failed," she said  
"Samus, I must admit that I am impressed by the things you have done. But according to Pirate law, you must suffer death thirteen times over now for all the things you have done. I will personally kill you now, and afterwards, I will rebuild this command ship and obliterate everyone that opposes us! This is the end, Samus!"  
A huge rumble shook the dome, causing girders and pieces began to fall from the ceiling. The whole section of wall Giri was behind began to split in two, the glass he was behind shattered. Massive amounts of steam gushed out from the massive doors. A shadow emerged from the steam and appeared in front of Samus. It was a massive figure attached to the wall. It was a giant robot with massive mechanical arms. On it's hands were huge hammers. Giri was on top of it.  
"So Giri, you must truly be the leader of the Space Pirates if you have a weapon such as that..."  
"No, Samus. I work for my own leader. All of the Space Pirates rule under a single being. We call her Mother Brain. She gives commands, and we obey everything. We are each a pawn in her circle. But I assure you, when I kill you, I will be among her most favored warriors. Thank you for giving me the honor,"  
Giri removed his cloak, and Samus saw what had happened to him. His body had been replaced by a cyborg's. Only his head was completely organic now. Artificial skin covered his arms, while thick black armor protected his body. Giri attached himself inside the robot's head. The massive machine revved up. One of it's arms came hurdling down upon Samus. She quickly rolled out of it's way, and it mashed the floor. Sparks and pieces went flying and the ground shook. The other huge arm came down. Samus jumped upwards to avoid it. When it landed, the dome began to break apart. The whole area was now shaking with multiple tremors.   
A compartment opened up on the robot's head and missiles came flying out, flying down at Samus. Samus stood still and fired at them - but something unusual happened. Her beam was now an intense burst of blue light. It penetrated the missiles, causing them to explode. Samus had almost been knocked backwards by the huge force of her new weapon. Another compartment opened up on the robot, and lasers began to spit out from it. Samus dodged them and fired back when she had the chance. The powerful weapon sliced right through the air and destroyed the laser guns. At this time, one of the massive arms of the robot was back up and coming back down at Samus. She scooted out of the way and jumped before the hammer hit the ground. Samus fired at a weak spot on the robot's arm. It exploded and the joint fell in two, causing the machine to lose it's right arm.  
Samus fired at the robot's head again, and then a second time. The powerful weapon blew through the missile bays. Before the remaining arm swung down on Samus, she quickly fired at the joint holding the hammer in place, which caused the massive mallet fall to the ground. Samus took a moment to gaze at her arms - they were losing the blueish glow; this weapon must be drawing energy from her suit, and she was quickly running out. She fired at the two support beams holding the robot's head up, and the whole body of it began to fall. With a deep, loud creak, the giant machine fell to the ground. The head landed right in front of Samus. Giri was trapped inside. The top of the head blew off and Samus could see Giri, intwined with the broken parts of the machine. He looked up at Samus with little emotion.  
"Samus... who are you? Why have you done all this? Why? Are you a super soldier sent from the Federation to stop me? Tell me! Who are you?!" Giri moaned.  
Samus took off her helmet. It landed on the ground with a thud. Giri stared up at Samus, standing valiantly upon his tattered body.  
"My name is Samus Aran. I am a bounty hunter. I work alone. Many years ago, you took away my childhood on a small space colony. You killed my parents, you killed everyone. I am here to put an end to the Pirate menace. You are Giri, a once well trusted veteran who turned traitor and joined the Pirates. That is all that needs to be known."  
"Samus... Aran? I... I remember you now. Yes... you were that child..."  
Samus bent down to pick her helmet on. Giri was struggling to exit the robot. Samus aimed her arm cannon at Giri's head. He stared up at it. Samus stood there for a moment, than lowered her arm cannon to her side. She noticed that the Vertico suit power had run out, but her arm cannon remained. She was back in her old power suit. Saying nothing, she began to walk away. Something that was once empty in her had been filled.  
"Samus!!!" Giri yelled.  
Samus did not turn back. Something suddenly broke the silence.   
"Warning! Command Ship under attack!" came the computer voice.  
The fleet was engaging fire upon the Pirate's ship. Samus knew she had little time to evacuate. Without looking back, she ran to the exit.  


* * *

X

  
  
"Alpha-Two Squad! Focus firepower on their main shield battery! We must bring that craft down!" Spoke the commander  
"Yes, sir! Engaging now..."  
"Green Squad, attack any fighter craft that comes out!"  
"Will do!"  
"Blue Group, focus on disabling the command ship's weapon system!"  
"Roger that,"  
"Watch yourselves, now!"  
Planetary Defense surrounded the Pirate vessel and began to pummel it with everything they could muster. Explosions began to rip through the hull. As soon as Pirate fighters emerged, they were most often destroyed.   
  
Samus ran back towards the docking bay. She soon saw that rubble was blocking her original route, and that she would have to proceed through a different way. She headed left, trying to avoid all the debris that swept through the area. Fires erupted all across the halls. Tremors shook the ship violently, and more than once Samus was thrown against a wall. She eventually came to a room marked : 'Metroid Quarantine C'  
Samus had no choice but to go through the door. Inside were multiple Metroid holding cells, most shattered. Three Space Pirates were on the ground; it looks like the Metroids got to them first. Samus left through the back door, into another hall. An explosion behind her tore apart the Metroid lab. All the power was gone in this area, leaving the room illuminated by only the fires.  
The hunter raced down the hall until she was almost at an intersection. She suddenly saw a Metroid turn the corner and it already began to charge at Samus. Before it passed the intersection, a Pirate leapt out from the side, about to strike. Samus stood her ground and noticed the Metroid racing from behind the Pirate. Unable to stop, the Metroid collided with the Pirate, knocking it down. Samus continued past the Pirate, which was now being attacked by the same creature that they had tried to control.  
She was going down another hallway when a large explosion tore the ceiling apart, making the hallway impassible. She turned right, through a lab, and entered a long tunnel area. She noticed a transport that ran on rails. It must have been used to get around the massive ship quickly. Hoping it would still operate, Samus jumped in and activated it. The transport groaned loudly but began to gain speed and take off through the transport. The ship shook even more, and Samus knew her time was running out.  
She looked back to make sure the coast was clear as her transport rushed down the rail line. She looked forward and immediately ducked, because a Metroid had come from the front, and Samus had almost ran right into it. She looked back to see the confused creature.   
The transport suddenly stopped, right in the middle of the line. Samus peered over to see that it had run into a pile of rubble. She hastily vacated the vehicle and continued down the rest of the line.   
  
Meanwhile, outside the ship, the Defense team's job was nearly complete.  
"All right people, just a few more hits to the deck outta do it!"  
The squad made formation and did a swoop in at the bridge. Everyone fired as many missiles and lasers as possible at it. The bridge erupted into flames and the team pulled out before colliding.  
"Okay everyone, let's get out of here. She's gonna blow! I repeat, all members are ordered to leave the vicinity of the Command Ship now!"  
The large vessel began to pitch downwards into Bomoba's atmosphere. Dozens of fireballs came from the ship's frame. Huge pieces were being blown off.  
"She's going down! Good job, everyone! Return to base!" finished the commander.  
  
Inside the doomed command ship, Samus was making a break for the exit. A wall of fire was rushing through the tunnel at high speed and she had to leave fast. The compound shook repeatedly. Explosions rattled the section.   
Samus Aran jumped to the airlock platform, which attached the transport tunnel to the docking bay. She had no time for repressurizing, so she fired a charged beam at the door. It blew apart and everything in the room was sucked into the vacuum of space, and it was also pulling the wall of fire outwards. Samus tried to hold on, but was sucked out into the docking bay. She flew near her ship and grabbed onto a post right above the large hole she had created earlier. If she were to let go, she would have flown right out from under the ship and burn up in the atmosphere. Space no longer was seen through the docking bay door; only Bomoba's surface. Samus was getting so close to the planet, that she could almost make out the clouds and massive cities the planet had.  
Debris pummeled Samus's suit as it was being sucked outwards. Samus noticed a temperature influx in the area; the ship was starting to enter the atmosphere, and without any protective shielding, since it was destroyed, the whole command vessel would burn up and explode in a matter of seconds. With debris smashing against Samus, she reached out to the side of her gunship. She reached as far as she could and finally made contact. She grasped a rail on the side of her ship and let go of the post she had been holding onto.   
Samus slowly crawled on top of her ship, which was also being battered with random items. The docking bay began to tear itself apart. Samus was now on top of her vessel, holding on for dear life. She activated the hatch and toppled in...  
  
The Space Pirate Command Ship was breaking apart now, shattering as bits flew off. The stern was beginning to explode entirely.  
And inside the central command; the large dome, lay Captain Jay Giri, barely breathing. He was still trapped under the robot. He couldn't accept the fact that he had been beaten. He only though of the one that finally defeated him. With his last breath, he screamed as loud as he could,  
"SAMUS!!!"  
  
In one quick moment, the command ship was gone - it had ignited into a huge explosion. A bright flare spread across the sky. The very space around it shook. Adam witnessed the event from his window in his cruiser. The death of the command ship was a marvelous sight. He came to his senses and go on the communicator, not expecting an answer.  
"Samus? Do you read?"  
Nothing.  
"Samus? Where are you? Do you hear this?!"  
Adam's only reply was silence.  
"Samus... please reply... "  
Adam looked down and wiped his face, which was covered in sweat.  
  
"Adam? Is that you?" came a voice  
"Samus?! You made it! You're alive!" Adam replied excitedly   
"Sure, Adam. You didn't expect me to go down that easily, did ya?"  
Adam pressed a switch, and Samus appeared on a monitor. She did the same thing, and the two saw each other again - something that they hadn't expected.  
"Samus... "  
"Yes?"  
"You... you did good. So is it over, then? Giri's dead right?"  
"It's just started, Adam. I've got to finish what i've started,"  
"Samus, where are you?"  
"Right above the planet, awaiting a new objective,"  
Adam smiled for a moment.  
"Oh, I just remembered... Samus while you were in there, this winged creature flew by the station. I was amazed that it could live in space like that,"  
"It's... Ridley, Adam,"  
"That was Ridley?!"  
"Yes... did you see where it went?"  
"I managed to get a lock on it. It seems to be heading for planet Zebes,"  
"Zebes must be where the leader of the Space Pirates is..."  
"Well then, Samus, your objective is as follows : Visit Zebes and eradicate all Pirate operation there. Is that clear?"  
"Yes, Adam, understood..."  
"Well Samus, I have news for you. I'm being reassigned to a higher position. I won't be here when you get back, Samus. However, I hope that our paths may cross again someday,"  
"I'm sure they will, Adam Malkovich. Goodbye," Samus said as she was about to activate her hyper drive.  
"Samus?"  
"Yes, Adam?"  
"Hey, good luck, lady," Adam said with a grin.  
Samus smiled back.  
  
The small yellow gunship fired up, and before Adam could blink one more time, it soared off into the distance as a stream of light...  
  


* * *

**Epilogue**  
  
The race of the Chozo holds many secrets. These ancient beings, once strong and mighty, have been reduced to having to hide and silently observe other life. They watch as the Space Pirates tear apart their once grand civilization and do great harm to others...  
  
They watch the newborn; the hatchling and hope that she can bring peace to the Galaxy. They continue to watch Samus grow, to watch her journeys. They know Samus has a life ahead of her that no ordinary human could endure. They watch her closely....  
  
And now as they see Samus land on this planet Zebes, which was also once a Chozo civilization, they feel her realize that her life has never been ordinary; that she was born to serve a greater purpose. Samus's epic story has only begun, and the Chozo will always be watching...  
  


**THE END**  



End file.
